Game apparatus



y 1950 o. L. OLSON 2,513,667

GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 10, 1949 INVENTOR. OZiverLOZson BY 17 Q 7 Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES parent{OFFICE Oliver L. Olson, Gam'as, Wash. Application January 10, 1949, serialNo. 70,055

The present invention relates to a game of the class wherein a marble or larger ball is propelled down an alley or runway into one of several zones, whereupon it is returned to the front of the alley.

It is the general object of the invention to pro- 3 Claims. (01. 27395) vide a game of skill and chance adapted to afford amusement when. built on a small scale and played with marbles, and to afiord both amusement and physical exercise when constructed on a larger scale and played with balls of relatively large size. The manner in which the foregoing and othe objects of the inventionare accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification and claims, considered together with the single figure of the drawing, thesame beinga perspective view of the game of the present invention, partly broken away better to. show its construction.

Broadly stated, the game described herein comprises an alley or runway adapted to be traversed by a ball and terminating in a chamber divided longitudinally into zones. At the rear of each zone is a deflector or stop designed to arrest-the motion of the ball. The stops in the various zones are differentially spaced, some being closer It will be apparent that the game of the present invention comprises the alley I l which leads into the chamber indicated generally at I2. Both alley and chamber ma be constructed of any suitable material, and as indicated above may be of relatively small size if use of the game. as a parlor game with marbles is contemplated, or of relatively large size if it is contemplated playing it on a larger scale. A retaining wall is provided on each side of the alley, one'ofthese beingindicated at I3. The alley preferably is substantially smooth and level throughoutqthe greater portion of its length, but is inclined upwardly at its terminal portion, i. e. at the end leading into the chamber I2. The inclination preferably is arouate, as shown at I4.

The chamber I2 is bounded by a pair of end plates, I5, l5 and a roof I8. The latter preferably is arcuate with the forward and overlapping These are the upwardly inclined end of the alley, the direction of curvature of theroof being the reverse of that of thealley. ,Sufficients'pace is provided between alley and roof, however, to permit passage of a ball of the desiredsize Within the chamber are a plurality ofstops I1, I I and I8. These are adapted to be struck by a ball entering 'the chamber and to deflect it downwardly. Each stop preferably has an arouate substantially planar inner face' which merges with the arcuate inner surface of the roof IS. The stops are difierentially spaced with respect to the end "of the all'eyhso that they divide the chamberin'to longitudinal zones of varying depth. In the embodiment illustratedin the'drawing, the two stops indicat'edat I'I, I'I are relatively close to the end of thealley and hence the zones behind the numerals 5 ,-"5", "'as numbered on the roof of the chamber, are relatively shallow. On the other hand the stop I8, and a corresponding stop of identical construction and location, but on the opposite side ofthechamber (behind the stop I! and not shown), are somewhat farther removed from the end of the alley and hence the zones numbered I0, Ill are of somewhat greater depth. Still another stop, which may comprise the inner surface of the roof It between the stops I1, I? is still farther distantfrom the end of the alley, and hence the zone 25 which it bounds is of still greater depth.

It will be apparent that the stops I I, I1, I 8 and the one corresponding .to stop l8 in zone Ill may be formed as separate units and attached to the roof or otherwise supported. Alternatively, they may be formed integrallywith the roof, as where the latter is cast from plastic or other suitable moldin material; In the latter case they may be considered as being part of the roof, since they are segments thereof of varying thickness.v

Below the chamber I2, and forming its floor, are a plurality of ball receiving: guideways or chutes. These are disposed transversely with respect to the alley and are spaced apart at a distance corresponding. substantially to the spacing of the stop members. Each of the receiving chutes preferably is at a leveldifferent from that either others, the: levels becoming progressively lower'xtoward, theback: of the chamber for a reason which will appear hereinafter. Hence a ball deflected by one or the other of the stops will be directed into the corresponding receiving chute. If deflected by the stop I! or IT, in the zones 5 and 5', the'ball will be received by the chute I9; if deflected by the stop I8'in zone I0 or the corresponding stop (not shown) in zone I0 on the opposite side of the chamber, it will be received by the chute and if it strikes against the intermediate stop, which may be the inner surface of the roof, in zone 25, it will drop into receiving chute 2|.

The receiving chutes I9, 20 and 2] lead into the ball return chutes 22, 23 and 24 respectively, which are disposed alongside the alley and are parallel thereto. In the event that the receiving chutes are all on the same level, then the corresponding return chutes may be placed side by side substantially in horizontal alignment with each other.

in vertical aligmnent, thus lending compactness to the device. Whether vertically or horizontally aligned, the return chutes and the receiving chutes with which they connect have a, gentle downward slope so that a ball contained therein willreturnbygravity to the front of the alley.

The'manner ofplayingthe game will be apparent from the foregoing description of its construction. A marble or ball is propelled along the 1 it encounters one of the stopsat the rear of the chamber.

If it has entered zones 5 or 5' of the chamber, it will be deflected by stop I! or stop If, as is preferred, however, the receiving chutes are at progressively lower levels, then the return chutes may be placed one above the other upon traversing the deflector in one of the zones, the ball will be directed into the corresponding i1 into receiving chute l 9, whence it will be conveyed to the front of the alley. However, ifyit has entered squarely zone II] or In, it will strike against stop I8 or the corresponding stop on the opposite side of the chamber, and drop into chute 20. In order to do so, however, it must-travel 1 with sufficient momentum to hurdle chute l9. If

it is not propelled swiftly enough, or if it does not squarely enter one of zones Ill or III, but glances off stop I! or stop 11', it will drop into chute l9 rather than chute 20.

If the ball enters zone 25, it will follow the ceiving chute 2| and thence into return chute 24. This obviously presents a more difiicult problem than that met in either of the other two situations, since in order to reach chute 2| the ball must skip chute 20 as well as chute l9, into one of which it will drop if not propelled with sufficient momentum, or if it strikes against a corner or sidewall of any of the stops.

In'computing the score, the magnitude of the latter is made commensurate with the difficulty of achieving it. Hence balls entering chute 2| via'zone 25 may be scored as 25; those entering chute 20 via zones H1 or ID may be scored 10; and those entering chute |-9 via zones 5 or 5' may be scored as 5. There thus is provided a game of skill and chance, affording both entertainment and recreation to the participants.

Having now described my invention in preferred embodiments, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

11 A game comprising an alley adapted to be traversed by a' ball and having. an upwardly di-' rected arcuate terminal portion leading within a 4 chamber, on said chamber an arcuate roof the forward portion of which overlaps the arcuate terminal portion of the alley, the arc of the roof being in a reverse direction to that of the alley, within the chamber a plurality of longitudinal zones the rear walls of which are defined by a plurality of difierentially spaced deflectors having faces merging with the arcuate inner surface of the roof, and a plurality [of spaced ball receiving guideways disposed beneath the "chamber, the spacing of the guideways being such that guideway and return to the front of the alley.

2. A game comprising an alley adapted to be traversed by a ball and having an upwardly directed arcuate terminal portion, a chamber at the rear of the alley, on the chamber an arcuate roof the forward portion of which overlaps the arcuate end of the alley, within the chamber a plurality of longitudinal zones, in each zone a stop defining the rear wall thereof, the inner face of the stop being arcuate and merging with the arcuate inner face of the roof, the stops in the various zones being spaced differentially with respect to the alley, a plurality of ball receiving chutes disposed transversely of the chamber, each chute being adapted to receive the ball as it is deflected by its respective stop, and disposed longitudinally of the alley a plurality ofball return chutes each of which is connected with one of the ball receiving chutes, and therefore is adapted to return'the ball to the front of the alley.

3. A game comprising an alley adapted to be traversed by a ball and. having an upwardly curved terminal portion, a chamber-at the rear of the alley, on the chamber a curved roof the forward portion of which overhangs the curved end of the alley, within the chamber a plurality of longitudinal zones, in each zone astop defining the rear wall thereof the inner face of each stop being substantially planar and curved to merge with the curved innersurface of the roof, the stops in the various zones being spaced differentially with respect to the alley, a plurality of ball receiving chutes disposed transversely with respect to the alley and stationed at predetermined levels within the chamber below the stops,

each chute being adapted to receive the ball as it is deflected from the stops thereabove, and a plurality of downwardly sloping ball return chutes disposed longitudinally of the alley in vertical alignment with each other and connected with the ball receiving chutes to enable return of the ball to the front of the alley. OLIVER L. OLSON.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Swenson' Sept. 26, 1939 

